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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27848198">Mistaken Identity</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaosintheavenue/pseuds/chaosintheavenue'>chaosintheavenue</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fallout (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Broken Bones, Gen, Minor Injuries, Robots, nightstalkers - Freeform, no canon characters</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:54:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,259</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27848198</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaosintheavenue/pseuds/chaosintheavenue</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>My piece for the 2020 Fallout Bang event! Post-apocalyptic urban exploration gone wrong, with a surprise guest. As usual for my stuffs, the only real Fallout content is the setting we're in.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Mistaken Identity</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thank you so much for reading :)</p><p>Extra thanks to everyone in the Fallout Bang Discord server who offered advice and tips, with a special mention to nukaworld-nora on Tumblr for extremely helpful comments on the draft!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>BLUE LIGHTNING'S TALES OF WONDER #115: THE MOON OF DOOM</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A tightly-clad hero with impossibly defined muscles punches outwards towards the reader with a 'POW!', surrounded by little green men in the ubiquitous dome-enveloped city on a distant planet. A frivolous daydream of ages long past, telling of a future that was never to be. JJ couldn't think of a more flavourlessly typical comic if he tried. Still, some kid in town will probably get ten minutes of entertainment out of it, so into the backpack it goes. As he re-zips the bag shut, a sudden rattle and bump from underneath the bed he sits on startles him to his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Jasper!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A louder rattle and whimper of acknowledgement, then a moment later the nightstalker in question pops out with a hideously dusty Jangles the Moon Monkey stuffed toy in his mouth. Predictably, he sets it down on the floor and waits for it to be thrown, his eyes pleading.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No. Too dirty." JJ turns his attention back to the long-gone child's bookshelf, hoping that there's more of interest to be found. Today hasn't been a bountiful scavenging day so far, and the cost of the two bullets he put in that scorpion on the way to this secluded part of what was once known as Ogden will be-</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hissss</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jasper’s need for attention brings his train of thought to a screeching halt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Dream on, Jas. I'm not touching that."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jasper sits, offers both paws in turn, whines in frustration- anything to play fetch, as usual. Once his limited patience with his owner wears thin, he takes to lifting and 'throwing' (well, dropping slightly to the side in reality) Jangles for himself, only to immediately pounce and snatch it back into his jaws, gleefully tossing his head from side to side to 'kill' his 'prey' and rattling his tail in triumph, until he's out in the hallway. At least it should provide a suitable distraction to keep Jasper out of trouble temporarily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bookshelf offers no further treasures worth hauling home, so JJ moves onto the next bedroom. Judging by the colourful Vault Boy sign hanging from the handle, cheerfully proclaiming 'Come on in!' with his perpetual wink and grin, it belonged to yet another child. The door is firmly jammed, and an attempt to ram it open with his entire body weight only succeeds in knocking another thick, swirling cloud of radioactive dust up into the air. He quickly puts a hand over his nose, but is still forced to retreat into the first child’s room until it settles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A loud, metallic-sounding crash rings out from the direction of the hallway. He probably shouldn't let Jasper get too overexcited, lest he exhaust himself before the journey home. Plus, yet more dust being kicked around is the last thing anyone needs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Jasper? Here, boy."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pads in, surprisingly minus Jangles. JJ reaches into his pocket for a jerky treat to hold the rascal's attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But... there's another bang.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instinct takes over, and before he knows it, JJ is backed up next to a door frame, his hand wrapped around the gun in his holster. At his master's response, Jasper also switches into battle mode, crouching down low facing the staircase poised to strike and issuing a warning rattle. Another clank, which prompts the most vicious snarl that has ever come out of Jasper. Whatever's down there, it sounds heavy, and it's unlikely to be friendly...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, Jas, sssh..." he barely dares to hiss under his breath. To his utter horror, Jasper takes this as permission to bolt downstairs, right into the face of danger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No!" J makes a grab for the leather collar, catches- air. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His heart lurches into his throat as the stairs hurtle towards his face. Hands fly out as he struggles in vain to snatch back control from gravity. The panicked yelp doesn't register back as his own voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, this is how it ends.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One more futile attempt to anchor himself with an outstretched hand fails with a stab of tingling pain. The first step slams into his lower ribs, cementing his certain doom. Before he can even try to suck in a breath that he knows won't come, the next sharp edge of splintered wood collides with his head, reverberates through his skull-</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The tickling tang of concentrated dust hits the back of his throat. Particles shimmer and swirl in the rays of light poking through- wooden planks? That's... a ceiling. Odd.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>JJ's eyes slide closed for a second, and that </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurts</span>
  </em>
  <span>. His head, his arm. He breathes, and more pain blooms in his chest. Part of his brain reminds him that he's out exploring, fell down the stairs, hit his head. He must have been knocked out from the impact. The rest of him is still too stunned to even attempt to pick apart the meaning of those thoughts. His body begs him to give into the painless bliss of sleep- knows he can't. Things were... off, somehow, even before he fell, but the memories are too fuzzy to wade through. Still, the familiar weight of Jasper against his side brings some comfort.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As much as he never wants to move again, he can't stay here forever, so he attempts to take stock of his injuries to figure out if there's any hope of making it home on his own before his dad organises a search party. The pain is mostly radiating from his head and right wrist- which, whilst still physically able to move when the agony allows it, feels utterly wrong- but he'd also bet on skinned knees, a generous helping of bruises, and most likely a knock to the ribs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sir!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The lingering knot of adrenaline in his stomach returns full-force at the sound of a degraded mechanical voice, and the glint of a floating orb in his peripheral vision. Disregarding his current state, he scrambles up into a sitting position- and realises much too late that he should not have put weight on his damaged wrist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Agh, dammit!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jasper startles awake at the noise and sudden movement as JJ instinctively curls into a ball to guard the arm, which he sandwiches between his knees as if anything could possibly dull the white-hot pain from the outside. With a protective rattle, the nightstalker repositions his body to cover his owner's, sending an unfamiliar corroded chain leash hooked onto his collar abruptly flopping down into JJ's face. It bounces away </span>
  <em>
    <span>splattered with blood.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Great, he's bleeding too? A hand to his face to investigate- no, not that freaking hand! </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even a slight jolt of the wrist before he can catch his mistake sends the existing static-like shockwaves to an unbearable crescendo. He clamps his teeth down on his lip until a rush of fresh blood floods into his mouth. Don't scream, don't scream, do </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>scream...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>From the pain, sure, but also from the sight that greets him when he finally looks back up. Next to the front door hovers a Mr Handy, its main body sphere dented, yet perfectly polished and rust-free. Triangular panels inside its one intact, non-clouded 'eye' unfurl in apparent horror at the scene before it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Good old Bailey, eh? Loyal as ever. I dare say, that was quite the tumble! But fear not, sir, help should arrive at any moment."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I... we m-meant no harm, we're leaving now..." JJ splutters, more than aware that the thing is only a zero or one away from grinding them both to pieces with that glistening circular saw- and it's evidently malfunctioning as it is. He vaguely recalls seeing the name 'Bailey' etched into the scorched doghouse out in the yard. Or at least he thinks he remembers that, but he isn't sure if he can safely rely on his own memory right now. His head's still swimming with pain and tumbleweeds. Ugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The interruption is disregarded, "-Ahem- please don't be alarmed, but during Bailey's bath, I couldn't help but notice that he's lost a lot of his fur. Might I suggest arranging an appointment with Dr Featherstone?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Upon further investigation, Jasper does smell suspiciously of... a fragrance that J can't quite place, but with the same harsh, chemical edge as Abraxo or Washo. He fights to suppress the rising giggle as he pictures this poor robot trying to grapple with how uncooperative Jasper tends to be during bath times, "You gave him a </span>
  <em>
    <span>bath</span>
  </em>
  <span>?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why, naturally! After his evening walk, he was positively filthy! The street cleaners must be slacking once again, I'm afraid. You'd have half a mind to file a strongly-worded complaint with the municipal cou-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Handy, which is now gesticulating wildly with its spider-like limbs at the mere idea of a dusty sidewalk, fortunately gets distracted by a very familiar begging routine from Jas before it can fully launch into its tirade. Clearly, the robot has already earned his eternal trust and affection with a few stale dog biscuits...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Excuse me, sir, but young Bailey here requires another helping of Rovin' Rovers. Can I get you anything? A glass of cool water to calm your nerves, perhaps?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>JJ doesn't want to know what would happen if the thing stuck itself in a loop trying to turn on a rusted faucet that hasn't carried water in almost 200 years, "Uh... no thanks. I'm fine."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As it vanishes behind a wall into what was presumably once the kitchen (but is now little more than a tangled mess of wires and broken beams dangling down from the collapsed ceiling above), an eager Jasper right behind it, J begins to wonder just how hard he bumped his head. This ridiculous encounter would be by far the most amusing adventure anecdote he'd ever be able to share with the fascinated kindergarten class during Friday morning story time, but he struggles to see the funny side whilst stranded in pre-war ruins with a dominant arm as functional as the skeletal car husk sitting in the driveway, no first aid supplies, and nothing but a glitched and thoroughly confused domestic robot and a nightstalker with questionable loyalties for company.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He can't help but sigh as he begins to truly comprehend his predicament. As much as he'd rather not put his life in the hands (pincers?) of a broken machine, no better option comes to mind, and playing along with its fallacies for now is probably his safest bet if he wants to stay on its good side. And, in that case- well, he's already fairly certain what it currently believes, but there's no harm in seeking confirmation. Once the sound of grateful hisses and crunches from the general direction of the kitchen indicates that its tasks are complete, he takes the liberty of asking it for the date.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Try not to be alarmed, sir. Memory deficits are a common side effect of head injury, like the one you sustained not long ago. I am Wilson, your robotic assistant, brought to you by the fine folks at General Atomics."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wilson it is, then. JJ would have guessed something a little more pompous- Cuthbert, perhaps, or Godfrey- but Wilson will do just fine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wilson, I need to know the date."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It- he?- reappears in the doorframe, somehow managing to look concerned despite lacking a face, "I believe I should be the one asking </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>these questions, sir. It seems that you are in need of the most urgent medical attention, and dare I s-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The. Date," he reminds it, as if disciplining an unruly child. He doesn't mean to snap, but the constant pain is starting to grate at his spirit, and the dimming sunlight outside only heightens his sense of urgency.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Today is October 23rd, 2077," Wilson proudly announces. Exactly as he anticipated. For a moment, JJ wonders whether having it drag him back to the safety of New Canaan would obliterate its worldview and send it into a frenzy. Still, accompanying Jasper on a leisurely stroll around the barren, skeleton-strewn neighbourhood clearly wasn't enough to cram news of the apocalypse through its sensors, so there probably isn't much that could. Besides, he can't freaking shoot, and Jasper will surely be in much too playful of a mood to be entrusted with the responsibility of defending both of them after munching down his latest serving of treats- but Wilson has a buzz saw, a broken appendage that would pack a hefty punch if used for bludgeoning, and last but not least, what appears to be a flamer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wilson, I-" he pauses to clear his throat, acutely aware that it's starting to tighten in protest at every dust-filled breath. Yet another reason to get out of here as soon as possible, "I need you to help get me ho- I mean, to a doctor."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Good call, sir. Will Bailey be joining us?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yep, he's coming..." JJ groans, struggling to haul himself to his feet using his one working arm and the handrail. His knees buckle as a new wave of body-wide pain and nausea washes over him, but he just about manages to remain upright for long enough to stagger towards the open door in a manner comparable to a newborn Bighorner calf.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Very well, allow me to fetch him. Ah- do be careful. We wouldn't want you falling again, now, would we?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Definitely not!" he laughs alongside the robot's somewhat disturbing artificial chuckle, allowing the doorframe to take his weight whilst he waits for what may be the last intact fragment of the shattered Old World to obliviously emerge into a new reality.</span>
</p>
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